The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-06-28
REBEL BATTLE FLAcs.s
The Collection Belonging to the
State of Maine.
Trophies of vaIor Brought Homo by
Sons of the Pine Tree State.
The Stars and Bare Hung on the
Walls of the State Capitol.

AUGUSTA, June 27. : Since President
Cleyeland's order relating to the rebel battle
flags, some Of the old veterans about the
State House at Augusta have been counting
up the trophies in possession Of the State Of
Maine. There are twelve rebel flags, or
parts Of rebel flags hung up in the State
House, which were captured by volunteer
regiments from Maine Ragged and faded
they are now, the inscriptions dim and often
illegible. But on them are the names Of ia
nous battles, and the marks of remarkable
service. Perhaps the most interesting flag
Is one Of group Of three that hang over the
door Of the State Treasurer's Office. These
flags were captured, one by the First Maine
Cavalry at Aldie, one by the Fifteenth
Maine Infantry in Texas, and the third by
Major Wclch, Of the Nineteenth Maine In
fantry at Spottsylyania, May 18th, 1864 This
last banner, the trophy Of the Nineteenth,
belonged to the Thirty-third Virginia Infan-
try, veteran regiment, If there was any
such in Lees army. The flag is made of red
bunting, cut, not in rectangular, as the
Union flag, but growing narrower as it goes
from the staff, and ending with a broad
notch like that in fish's tail. Two bars Of
blue. cross this flag from corner to corner,
and In these blue bars are twelve or thirteen
white stars. But more interesting than the
stars or bars are the names Of the battles in
scrlbed ON this flag. They are these;
MANASSAS No. WINCHESTER No
(Eirst Bull RUM
PORT REPpBLIc, COLD HARBoR,
MALVERN HILL, CEDAR RUN
MANASSAS NO; CHANcELLoRsvILLE,
Second Bull Rum,
WINCHESTER, GETTYSBURG,
SHANTILLY, HARPER's FERRY,
oHAkfsBUkG, FREDERICKSBURG.
Spottsylyania Is not on this banner for
there the Nineteenth Maine took it from the
Virginia veterans, with all its proud inscrip-
tions.
Another of these three flags over the door
Of the Treasurer's Office shows a modiica-
tion of design The stars, instead Of being
on the bars, are ranged in circle around
thel intersection OF the blue bars on the red
ground. This, with the third Of this group,
have no inscription Of battlefelds.
Near by, over the door leading out onto
the verandah, is State Of Virginia flag: a
blue union with thirteen white stars, and
three broad horizontal stripes, white one
in the middle, and yellow one above and
below. This flag, now faded and tattered, is
of silk, and once was undoubtedly priced
possession of Virginia 'chivalry." The
label to this flag has been lost and no one
seems to know when or how it was captured.
Crossing the capitol to the door Of the Sec
rotary of States Office, you find three
more flags, captured by the Fifth
Maine Regiment Who the men were
who snatched them from the Southern color
bearers cannot be tod except in one case
a
away, almost entirely, in the years lsince the
war. One was taken Ly Theodore Shackle-
ford, of Co. A. Fifth Maine He took 1t at
the battle of Rappahamock Station. An
other Of these Fifthe Maine trophies be-
longed TO some veteran regiment, 1t Is impos-
sible to tell to what from anytning here.
But on it are these Rames
CEDAR RAPIDS, MANASSAS, No. 2,
HARPER's FERRY, sHARPsBURG,
CHANcELLoRsvILLE, FREDERICKSBURG.
Near the three flags taken by the Fifth
Maine are several draped over the door lead
ing to the east veranda. One of these be-
longed to the hTwenty-tirst South Carolina
Volunteers. ltwas captured, so the faded
label says, by Captain Benjamin Bristow, of
Ninth Maine. who, with 125 men attacked
six hundred rebels" This flag is another
illnstns fi;.., "a Tho variety character
white stars and then broad white stripe,
with broad red stripe on above and below.
In form, too, it Is like Union flag and it Is
also stars and stripes. But the stars num-
bered rebellious States and the stripes were
but three instead of thirteen.
A very interesting flag is the large one
hanging in the centre Of the group over the
East veranda door. The ground work of
this flag was originally red, but it has faded
now until 1t is almost white. The cloth is
silk, or some other fine fabric. The blue
bars are sewed onto this red groundwork,
and the white stars sewed onto the bars. The
blue bars have on them small white spots,
something like polka spots, which shows
plainly that the material was not intended
for part OF flag, but rather for some lady's
dress. Very likely the cloth was part of
dress-certainly the whole flag bears evil
dence of being home made. The stitches Of
the sewing are very regularly and carefully
done, and are the work of a woman, or Of
women.
These Confederate flags are draped over
doors and exposed to the dust and breezes of
the rotunda. The loyal flags, those borne
by Maine regiments, with the long inscrip-
tions OF the battles yet fresh upon them, are
kept in cases in the rotunda, and are a con-
spicuous portion Of its ornamentation. But
the rebel flags occupy rather obscure places,
and 1t is doubtful If many of those who visit
the State House realize what they are.
Waterman Fred Brown, a colored man
whom Major Shorey of Bridgton brought up
from slavery in the days Of the war, and who
recently passed from Mr.. Blaine's service
into the service of the State of Maine, is
considerably stirred up over Mr.. Cleveland's
actions. Fred is veteran himself, and de-
clares: IF dey attempts to take dose flags
dere'u be some fghtin' roun' dis State
House."